And I was with you in weakness
Meaning either the weakness of his bodily presence, the
contemptibleness of his voice, and the mean figure he made as a
preacher among them, both with respect to the matter and manner
of his ministry in the eyes of many; or his lowly and humble
deportment among them, not exerting the power and authority
Christ had given him as an apostle; but choosing rather to work
with his own hands, as he did at Corinth, to minister to his own
necessities, and those of others; or the many persecutions which
he endured there for the sake of preaching a crucified Christ;
and which he sometimes calls "infirmities"; see ( 2
Corinthians 12:9 2
Corinthians 12:10 ) wherefore it is added,
and in fear, and in much trembling:
not only on account of the greatness and awfulness of the work in
which he was engaged, and lest the souls he ministered unto
should be drawn aside from the truth, and into a sinful
compliance; but because of the violence of men against him,
threatening his life, and lying in wait for it: hence, the Lord,
to encourage him, spake in a vision to him, and bid him not be
afraid, but boldly preach his Gospel, and not be silent; assuring
him of his presence, and that no man should set on him to hurt
him, for he had many chosen vessels there to call by his grace
through his ministry, ( Acts 18:9 Acts 18:10 ) which no
doubt greatly served to remove the fears and tremor that attended
him.